


The Creed of War

by WriterJunkie



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, F/F, G!P Kara Danvers, Pregnancy, SuperCorp, War, Werewolf Courting, Werewolf Culture, Werewolf Mates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:27:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26634334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriterJunkie/pseuds/WriterJunkie
Summary: Four years of war left National City a shell of its former self. Now with the nation left divided and into despair, while under Lex's rule he plans to rid the planet of werewolves as a solution. Kara tries to find a way to put an end to it but finds Lex has another plan that may be far worse than anyone could imagine.
Relationships: Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 15
Kudos: 115





	1. Part I

“Did you have to take this call?” James asked, shifting against the door car to prop his elbow on the armrest. 

Lena turned away from the window, watching Eve between them give Lena a nervous smile. James rested a hand against the gun on his hip, tucked into its holster. She preferred to avoid hiring Hunters, but knew her line of work, often in against martial law, required protection. It wasn’t just humans that were a threat. Lena had a gun of her own, tucked in her purse and a knife on her outer thigh, under her skirt. 

“Duty calls, Mr. Olsen,” Lena answered, her gaze back to the car window. “It’s an emergency.” 

James nodded, scoffing, but said nothing else. He was hired for the job and suitable for it too. He wasn’t going to turn away someone in need. Granted, Lena was an ideal client, wealthy enough to pay him a salary. Lena worked with him because she trusted John’s agency and a lot of the other vigilante Hunters were hot-headed men seeking revenge to shoot at any wolf they spotted. John took the effort to do background checks on his people before hiring them.

“It’s been a while since we last entered a Containment Zone,” James said.

Lena noted a towering orange hazard sign, stating they entered Zone 1 of National City. There were six in total. All equally bad and unsafe. The buildings of this part of the city were in shambles, falling apart, overtaken from plant growth, spray-painted with profanity, and warning signs. 

“Jack didn’t give me many details over the phone,” Lena admitted. “He insisted we meet in person.” 

It was better that way. For both of them. It meant fewer witnesses and someone eavesdropping, but it didn’t leave Lena any less uneasy. 

The neighborhood was so poorly lit that Lena barely could make out anything other than shadows of buildings and some surviving light post every few miles. 

The four years of war was not kind to the city, nor the nation. It turned peaceful and thriving cities into ruins and the citizens into a panic. The people able to leave moved to safer areas and larger populations full of Werewolf Hunters, but the unfortunate were left behind. Borders were put up two years into the war, patrolled, surrounded with electrical fences, and monitored. 

Due to her connections, Lena had a driver pick her up once they got past the border, usually through an underground tunnel or a sewer system. She knew the consequences of leaving safety points unauthorized. How easy she would be put on trial for treason and would not be pardoned, despite being the blood relative to Lex Luthor. The one riding out this war with malicious intentions. 

Eve spoke, her voice strained. “Mr. Spheer has informed his guards at the door to be expecting you, Ms. Luthor.” 

Eve didn’t come to these areas of the city often, but Lena had a slow night today and allowed her to tag along. The van they settled in, slowed down, pulled in front of a dingy warehouse, with boarded windows and a thick metal door. James stepped out first, his hand hovering over his gun as he scoped out the area. 

With the little light, he wasn't able to see anything but kept on the lookout for sounds of possible danger. He gave an approving nod and Eve stepped out next. Lena emerged, thanking the driver before approaching the warehouse. The small window in the door opened and a pair of brown stern eyes peered through it. The man with a five o’clock shadow grunted. 

“We’ve been waiting for you,” He said, before closing the door. 

He let them pass and glared at James. The warehouse was filled with beds of wounded people in bandages and nurses tending to them. The room smelled of blood and ammonia. James cringed and Eve gave a sharp cough before clamping a hand over her nose. Lena moved to the back that was separated by a white divider and two guards stood beside the door. 

“Lena Luthor?” One asked. 

She nodded and the man to the left covered in tattoos along his arm knocked on the door. It opened and they scurried inside. The hall of the backroom was less noisy and crowded but full of irritating fluorescent lights. A strong odor of cleaning products filtered the room. Lena didn’t bother knocking when she reached the end of the hall and entered.

“Really, Jack, werewolves at the doors?” Lena sighed. “What happened to the last guards?” 

The office of Jack Spheer was cluttered chaos of file cabinets, shelves, books, papers, and medical tools. While half of it was doused in darkness, save for the 32-inch screen computer mounted on the wall above the desk. In front of it, sat a tanned man with thick black hair and a full matching beard in a white lab coat. 

He spun around in his chair, standing and smiled. “Yes, about that, we had a bit of… An attack. It was safer hiring wolves.” He shuffled the flaps of his lab coat. “They’re for the cause. Any matter, I’m glad you could make it. Could I fix you anything? Tea? Coffee? Whiskey, perhaps?” 

Jack rubbed the back of his head, shoveling his hair into a frizzy mess and let out a yawn. “Hello James, Eve. Would you like anything?”

They both declined. Examining him closer, Lena could see the circles under his eyes and the eyebags from long hours of work on the screen. He made his way to the left of the room and sifted through piles of packaged coffee boxes. 

Lena frowned, her hands folded over her chest. “Cut to the chase, Jack. I didn’t come to the outskirts of the city for a coffee date.” 

Tearing into the package, Jack pulled out a coffee pod and shoved it into his coffee maker. He picked up a ridiculous, novelty mug that was in the shape of a shark head and stuck it under the coffee maker. 

“Right, straight to business as always, Lena.” Jack moved back into his chair, disrupting the sleep mode of the computer. “I have something of interest to show you.” 

He worked his fingers across his keyboard, his eyes glued to the screen. Several files were opened. A window asking for a password as prompted. He opened the file into full view and leaned back. 

“Are you familiar with wolfsbane?” Jack slid his way across the room when the coffee maker beeped and took a deep inhale before taking a sip. 

Lena grimaced. She’s seen first-hand the effects of wolfsbane on wolves. The harmful plants that rendered wolves weak and to their knees when exposed to large dosage. She’s seen the results of poisoning too. “I am.” 

Jack nodded. A discontent frown of his own etched on his face. “Well, from my sources, Lex has something big planned with it.” 

The screen went black before showing a green model of a cell structure. Lena stepped forward, Eve following after her.“What is this?”

James looked perplexed but utterly clueless to what he was staring at. 

Jack pointed to the screen. “That would be Lex’s newest project.” He took another slurp from his mug. 

“Wolf DNA?” Lena asked. 

“A variant of one.” 

Eve looked between Jack and Lena. “Ms. Luthor, if this is correct then that would mean…” 

Lena gulped. “Lex has been busy.” She took another look. “It’s mutated.” 

“Yes, we figured as much, but it isn’t clear how.” Jack stood. “I was hoping you could decipher that. I have my hands full, as you can see.” 

“Jack, how did you obtain this?” 

Jack shrugged. “There are inside men during this war too.” 

He was cautious enough to remain undetected. The files he recovered have been one of the best on hand. However, Lex would not be pleased to know if he was outsmarted.

“What exactly does wolfsbane have to do with DNA?” Lena asked.

“Well, in my research, this is the work of a wolf exposed to a variation of wolfsbane, without the horrid side effects.” 

Lena grew uneasy. In the early findings of werewolves' existence, they knew as much that wolfsbane strengthened them. A small dose or exposure to it was enough to invigorate them, but long exposure left them unpredictable, berserk, and cellular deterioration. 

“He’s trying to control them,” Lena whispered. 

That wouldn’t be an out-of-the-box theory. Wolves had powers only humans could only dream of. Jack closed down the window, removed a flash drive, and handed it to Lena. He opened a drawer, sorting through piles of papers, and presented her a manila file. “I trust you will find what is his intention.” 

Lena grasped the folder in her hand. “Jack, this is highly–”

“I know Lena. I can’t stay here.” 

Eve gave a faint cough. “I’ll wait outside Ms. Luthor.” 

James followed her, closing the door on his way out. Lena folded her arms, looking Jack over again then his room as he stared awkwardly in front of her. She clenched her jaw, shaking her head before facing him again. “You shouldn’t be putting yourself in danger like this.” 

“I know the risk.”

Lena scoffed. “This is no way to live. Look at you! When’s the last time you even slept?” 

Jack gave a soft chuckle, standing and stepped toward her. “I could ask you the same, but you know how it is with medical research.” Jack shuffled his tie and pursed his lips. “Besides, she knew I was the only one who could be trusted to give you this information. I want to help people as much as I can. ” 

Lena averted her gaze to Jack’s desk. He shifted back on his heels and sighed with an awkward smile in place. Jack was a respectable man, an excellent doctor too. That didn’t make him a Hunter either, even if he had weapons of his own to defend himself.

Impulsively, Lena’s hand squeezed around her bicep while she tried to gather the flurry of sadness and anxiety that settled into her thoughts. “H–How is she? I um…” 

He didn’t talk about her, even though he had connections to contact her. Lena insisted it was better that way even if it hurt them off. 

Jack tried not to bring it up anyway.“We’re all trying our best.” 

Lena stepped forward, putting a hand on his wrist and gave it a firm squeeze. “Please be careful, Jack. And tell her to not–” 

He nodded. His smile was soft and comforting. “Of course. She’s been discrete. In the meantime, we’ll keep in touch.” 

Lena let herself out. James stood by the door and followed her. A jab of guilt hit Lena. Seeing Jack in the current state he is, hurt and sad but hanging on because of how much he loves his work. How he wanted to help even if that meant breaking rules. The work kept him focused and that was something Lena could relate to. 

James propped the door open for them once the car arrived. “Should I be expecting another visit soon?”

“I can’t say how soon,” Lena answered. 

The future of this project was grim. Lena could see the potential, the havoc it would ensue if Lex had control of the wolves. He had a taste of control with the war, being a high official Hunter. 

“Should I brew a fresh cup of coffee once you return to your lab, Ms. Luthor?” Eve asked.

“Thank you, Eve.”

* * *

Ben leaned back into his chair with an exasperated exhale. He tapped his right hand against his desk, glancing at the clock hanging above his office door. Otis, obnoxiously chewing gum in the corner of the room and running a hand through his oily hair, pulled out his cellphone. 

“How long is she going to take?” Ben asked, propping a leg up on the desk. 

Otis shrugged. Ben couldn’t see why he was stuck with an airhead of a minion like him. There were better candidates, Mercy, for example, but Lex insisted he had a place for everyone. While Ben was stuck doing the footwork and Mercy who knows where probably in the comfort of a luxury penthouse. It infuriated him. 

Otis’s phone buzzed. “Says she’ll get here, Boss.” 

Ben looked at the clock again and scoffed. “Unbelievable.” 

It was twenty minutes since their arranged time and he was stuck with Otis. Ben cringed as he continued to chew loudly and shifted. “Stop that!” 

The office door opened and Mercy entered with two burly leathered guards behind her. She gave an indifferent gaze to her brother before approaching the desk with her arms crossed. 

“Lex is not happy.” 

Ben sat up, rubbing his hands over the front of his tweed suit jacket. He pursed his lips into a frown, Mercy looked at him as if it were an inconvenience to be here. 

“Excuse me?” Ben huffed. “Who are you to–”

“You screwed up, the least you could do is own up to it.” 

Otis rubbed the back of his head, giving a guilty expression on his face and groaned. Mercy took a seat in the chair provided in front of her. “Your job is to see to it that his plans go into action and somehow very sensitive information has been stolen on your watch.” 

Ben sat up, his back stiff as a rod. He tugged nervously at the collar of his tie. “Hold on a second. I am not at fault for this.” 

Mercy rolled her eyes. “Ben, two weeks ago, while you were stationed to guard one of the lab facilities files were duplicated and taken from our database.”

Ben gulped. This would make him look bad. A suspect even, but he’s proven himself enough to be for the cause. He had a motive to despise wolves, but Lex was fickle. He only kept those he found of use to him. “That wasn’t–I’ll look into this.” 

“That won’t be necessary. Lex was able to find the source of his leak.” Mercy held out a hand and one of the guards behind her came over, handing her over a white folder from behind his jacket pocket. “Eliminate Jack Spheer. Everything about his whereabouts is in this file. Screw up and I won’t be here to speak to you again, but put a bullet in your head.” 

She put it on the desk and stood, heading to the door. She paused to her brother, he timidly waved. “He wants to see you. Come with me.”

She left the office with Otis trailing behind her and Ben flipped open the file and groaned. A hand cupped under his chin before rubbing is as he glanced at the first page. 

He slammed a fist onto the desk, knocking over a pencil holder. “Damn it!” 

* * *

Kara clenched her fist, pacing along the side of a black SUV. She can’t remember a time she could be out in the open like this and on instinct it made her anxious. She was sure she wasn’t followed, she traveled on foot most of the time finding it easier to blend into the trees and evergreens in her pelt. 

The passenger door opened and a man with cropped blonde hair and similar blue eyes stepped out. He wore black fitted clothing, with the House of El crest on the left of his chest over his bulletproof vest. “You needn't worry.” 

Kara turned around, her fist unclenching to tighten again and the knuckles cracked. “She said she would be here, Non.” 

He nodded. “And Astra will be, but she must be careful.”

“What if something happened to her a-and Alex?” Kara’s fretting gaze shifted back to the thicket of trees and shrubs. 

“Astra is a wise and skillful warrior. The House of El’s best soldier. She will get here.” 

Kara deeply inhaled, biting her bottom lip as she held her breath before letting it out in a noisy exhale and nodded. She faced Non again, her face calmer and her back erect. “Right. I just… She is the only family I have left. After Lex killed father I–I can’t lose anymore.” 

She wiped her sweat covered hands against the same military-grade slacks Non also wore and paced again, back to the car. 

“Our people are at war. It’s expected to feel restless,” Non said. 

“I’m the heir. What good would it do to panic?” Kara was now one of the few of her people with entire generations slaughtered and the species as a whole dwindling. If she were to win this war Kara needed to be level-headed, especially with The House of El shattered. 

“There are many responsibilities you have to take on now and it isn’t easy,” Non agreed. “This is exactly what your father wanted to avoid and while I may have not agreed with him, maybe he was right after all.” 

Kara sniffled, holding back her urge to cry. The talk of her father was never easy, even four years later. How could she ever get over it? How he was killed in the throw of battle all to protect her. And her mother, somewhere hidden in this country, hopefully alive, to try and keep their bloodline and memory alive. What Kara would do to see her mother again. 

“Do you think there could have been another way?” Kara questioned. “To avoid this war, was it possible?” 

“I can not say, but we have seen centuries of human nature if that is any consideration.” Non approached her, putting a hand over Kara’s shoulder. 

“I’ve given up so much. Mother, Kal El…” 

“Your mate.” 

Kara flinched. That had been another painful outcome of this war, but it was an option both have decided. “I just want this to end.” 

Rusting of leaves and snapping twigs caught their attention and another SUV pushed through the trunks and on to the clearing. Kara released her hands and watched the car pull up to them. Alex stepped out of the car with Astra and four other men. 

“Are you okay?” Kara asked. 

The four men moved to the trunk handing out handguns and knives to everyone. 

Astra pulled her into a hug, rubbing a soothing hand over her shoulder blades. “Yes little one, we weren’t followed.” 

“I came to agree to keep the car running In case we need a quick getaway,” Alex said. 

Feeling at ease, Kara nodded and faced Astra with a calmer expression. “Why are we here?”

“Just over these trees is a facility run by Lex. Our sources said there have been our own people here tortured and who knows what else,” Astra replied.

“There’s more,” Non interjected. “...there are rumors of these places being used for experiments. It’s like these people are no longer our own, but a slave for Lex’s bidding.” 

Kara frowned. She heard of these situations. The way they are regarded as lab rats and have become entirely different species. She could feel it. The disconnect between them and the years of blood bonds left to an empty avoid. It was nearly as painful to cut as if losing a mate. 

Astra had the same look of discontent. “We must be prepared, Little One to kill our people if need be.” 

Kara gazes to her feet, her arms crossed over her chest, and nodded. “Okay.”

Alex approached her, hands on her shoulders. “Be careful.” 

Kara nodded. There was relief in knowing Alex would stay out of this fight. While she may have experience in battle, she was still human. Wolves were much stronger and that was a defeat Alex acknowledged, but she hated sitting around doing nothing either. “I will. If things go south, it’s okay to leave without us.” 

Alex scoffed. “Kara, I’m not going to abandon you.” 

“We have Non’s car, but if we need to we can shift and escape. It’s okay Alex,” Kara insisted. “Please, I need peace of mind knowing you’ll be safe.”

Staring into pleading cerulean blue eyes, Alex gave in and sighed. “Alright, but it won’t come to that, but I will.” 

Kara left, jogging after Non and Astra to catch up, as they trekked through the trees. Kara gripped the handle of her knife, feeling the curve of it against her fingers. Weapons were odd to her. Why use human tools when she had brute strength from her wolf lineage, but eventually humans found ways to improve them and within time, they made a wolf killing machine. Normally, in a fight for Alpha of a pack, weapons were forbidden. In war, there are exceptions or those who played dirty to get an advantage, like Lex. 

“We were told seven of them were inside,” Astra stated, pausing behind a shrub. Her eyes were pinned on the clearing in front of her. An old factory, long-abandoned stood before them, the windows boarded and enclosed with a chain-linked fence. “I can’t say how accurate that is. They’ve seen wolves come and go the last two days.” 

Kara’s jaw clenched. A seething rage boiling in her as she watched the trucks before her stationed around the building. A few men in lab coats with military men paced the premise, some men were unloading a truck and others packing it up. 

“I’ll gather any intelligence when I get to the computers,” Non said. “But if any of our own can not be saved it would be best to gut them than let them be a shell of themselves.” 

Astra’s shoulders tensed, she gazed back to her husband. “That is for Kara to decide.” 

Kara felt everyone’s eyes on her, all waiting for their orders and that was something she still couldn’t quite settle with. She wasn’t as tactful as Astra or her father but was learning. Out of custom and respect, Astra consulted Kara, as the heir. 

She nodded. “We do what is necessary.” 

Kara pressed forward, quickly scaling the fence and heard them follow after her with the same ease. A soldier to her left stepped out from behind the building with crates in hand and paused. “Hey, what are you doing here?”

The muscles in her jaw flexed and the tendons in her hands stretched and ached as she felt the bones in her hands begin to crack. She faced him, her eyes now a flaring ember of orange. 

The soldier trembled, dropping the crate, splintering the wood of it in a corner before reaching for his gun. “Holy shit!” 

Kara snarled and charged him. 

* * *

They make quick work of the soldiers on the field, using their knives to keep the kills quiet as possible. The bodies left on the ground in bloody and contorted positions. Kara stood at the metal sliding door then back at the four men to the right of her. They nodded before stripping their clothes and shifting. Their cries and snapping of bone and flesh sounded as they shifted then snarled, now in their brown thick pelts and towering two feet over Kara. Astra opened the door and the wolves snarled as they charged in. The factory was overrun with computer screens, makeshift computer desks, computer towers, and dozens of metal cages, some empty and others with naked humans or wolves inside. Kara stared, frozen in place to the scenery of medical slabs with dead bodies or unconscious wolves hooked to monitors and doctors hovering over them. 

“Kara!” Astra shouted, breaking her of her dread. 

Men above in the rafters of the factory raced down the stairs with rifles. “Let’s go! Move!” 

Kara blinked, exhaling and rolled her shoulders before standing up again, her appearance high and controlled. “We can’t leave them like this.”

Astra punched the nearest guard in the face, the knuckles cracking his nose and blood spluttered from his mouth as he bit his lip. 

Non dodged an on-coming fist and withdrew his knife to plunge it into the women’s stomach. “I’ll handle the computer!” He grabbed the soldiers by her neck and slammed her down to the ground before dashing to the monitors. 

Kara sidestepped the butt of a rifle and kicked forward into the man’s stomach, sending him tumbling backward and winded. “Aunt Astra!” 

Another guard charged her, causing Kara to bend over and stumble back to remain on her feet as he grabbed her by her ribs. She elbowed into his back and punched him in the ribs twice before she heard them snap. He screamed and Kara grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, before standing him up and cupped her other hand around his chin and twisted his neck. “We can’t let them stay here!” 

A beastly roar filled the room and the yelling of the soldiers that lined up on the rafters and fired at them. Kara dashed to the medical slabs, removing the tubes in their arms and the heart monitor pads on their chest. 

“Release them!” One of the soldiers ordered. 

Kara watched the cages of four wolves open and they stumbled out, bending the bars as they squeezed through the opening. She stared into blood-red eyes, the consciousness of the human once behind the pelt gone and distorted. Kara felt a buzz of pain in her chest and sharply inhaled. She couldn’t feel them. The connection she shared was gone. Underneath the wolf’s chest, that lacked thick fur, began to glow thin spindles of red veins that traveled to its face. 

“They’re infected,” Kara whispered. “Aunt Astra, they've been infected!” 

The wolf stood on two muscular haunches and ran. Kara rolled out of the way and watched it crash into a pile of crates. A pool of lab test tubes with glowing red liquid spilled out, some of them breaking. From the rafters, Kara watched a wolf fall and slam down, motionless and covered in bullet holes. “We can’t stay here!” 

“I need more time!” Non demanded. 

Kara pulled out her knife, blocking a left hook with her forearm, and thrust her blade into his ribs. She screamed as a bullet sunk into her deltoid, the sizzle of the silver spreading through her shoulder. 

“Kara, we need those samples!” Astra insisted. 

Kara powered through the pain of the bullet and yanked her knife out before kicking the soldier to the ground. The shadow of a wolf leaped over her, landing on a ground of men and splattering them. This was far worse than they expected. Two wolves jumped over her again, interlocked into a scuffle mid-air, snarling, clawing, and biting. She reached the samples and collected two that weren’t broken and into her utility belt. 

“We need to leave!” Non said, shoving the flash drive he collected into his pocket. 

“I can’t let these things follow us back into the city,” Kara said, taking the samples out again and tossed them to Astra. “I need to deal with them.” 

One of the infected wolves fell down dead with his head torn off. Kara stripped her vest off and unbuckled her belt. The muscles under her skin stretched and her jaw popped. 

“Non, destroy the computers,” Astra ordered. 

He nodded, kicking down the towers. He pulled out a handgun and shot at the wolf across the room. A guttural roar erupted from the center of the room and Kara stood in her grey and white pelt with glimmering orange eyes. Astra nearly shifted along with it, the call of her rage and hunt strong and tempting. One wolf jumped on to Kara’s back, biting into her and she howled. Astra shot at it, giving it enough of a distraction for Kara to throw them off her and step on to its neck. 

“We need to retreat,” Non said. 

Kara slashed her claws into the wolf’s neck, severing its head, and leaped onto the pile of computer towers. She got the attention of the other two wolves and crashed through the factory wall. They followed after her, snarling and covered in blood. 

Astra raced out the door with Non. She looked behind her, hoping this wouldn’t be the last time she saw her niece. Non nudged Astra forward. 

* * *

Kara knew if she stopped now there wouldn’t be much time for her to hide with the other two on her trail. She managed to badly injury one of the wolves in scuffle miles back. She can smell the blood in the air, but while wounded the rage it felt did not stop it from pursuing her. That didn’t mean it didn’t get a good hit in either. Her left limb was torn and the wound, strangely, healed slowly. A series of roars filled the forest again and Kara dodged behind a boulder before settling on climbing a thick tree trunk. The only thing she had in this form was her wits, which was a better advantage than the wolves in their blood rage state, but she hoped that would be enough. She crouched in the trees, watching below, and spotted a thickly furred wolf walk below her, prowling and sniffing the air. Kara waited before they lined up with her and plunged downward with a sneer. 

* * *

Lena sent James and Eve home at midnight. James didn’t like, but reluctantly he left and Lena had the cottage to herself. Eve told her to contact her if she needed help before stepping out the door and Lena agreed while making herself a cup of coffee. The cottage was spacious enough for them to spend the night. But if she were to do her research, she needed her time alone and the quietness of the gorgeous greenery the home was built on was perfect. She gave up her stay in L-Corp labs, knowing Lex would find a way to bug it. He had every suspicion to think Lena would defy him. The cottage was once a dairy farm, years ago, and a horse ranch. Now the barn was kept empty but maintained and eventually converted into another lab. The cottage doors were fortified and the windows with built-in shutters for any possible attacks, both human and wolf. She tried to prepare for everything while living in the middle of nowhere. The master bedroom upstairs housed all the security cameras and another lab in the basement, completely renovated and polished up with working plumbing and heating and cooling systems. 

It’s around 4 am when Lena is fixing a third cup of coffee when the motion detection systems sound. She gazed through her phone, reading the notification stating the disturbance was from the backdoor. Then another alert came from the front. Lena picked up her gun left on the kitchen counter before approaching the door and looking through the peephole. Scrolling through the camera feed on her cell she can’t see anything out of the ordinary. A frenzy of thump sounded from the door and Lena jumped, nearly pressing the trigger of her gun. She looked back through the cameras to see a slumped over the figure on her porch, naked and face down. She opened the door, frozen and full of dread to see this woman on her property battered and covered in blood. Her hair astray and covered in dirt and mud. The stranger grunted, stirring before pushing herself up to face Lena with orange-colored eyes and watched them fade to blue.

Lena gulped. “Kara?” 

She rolled on to her side, clamping a hand over her ribs and her hands are soaked in blood. She grimaced trying to catch her breath and stand but remained on her side. She opened her mouth and let out a grunt of pain and fainted. 

  
  



	2. Part II

Kara roused from her slumber in the middle of a haunting nightmare. The image of her father’s twisted and mangled body on the ground and his head severed. Gasping and covered in sweat, she knocked over the lamp on the nightstand. 

The bedroom door opened, Lena rushed by her side, putting a hand on her shoulder to ease her screaming. “You’re okay. You’re safe Kara.”

She noticed the black pointed nails ripping through Kara’s fingertips and the sliver of fur sprouting out from her forearms. Lena brushed a piece of damp hair from Kara’s brow and slid her hand down over the patch of fur, before pulling her into a hug.

“Kara, listen to me. It’s alright.” Lena pressed Kara’s ear against her chest. The steady beat of her heart grounding Kara back into her surroundings. 

The screaming ceased, but the sweat glistened along her neck and forehead. Kara gulped. She couldn’t shake these nightmares since the start of the war. The image of her father was a recurring topic. When she was calmer and Lena felt the tension in her shoulders loosen, Lena released her. Kara wiped the tears from her eyes and kept her eyes on her sheets. She was wearing different clothes than she last remembered, a grey sweatshirt and shorts. 

“I–I should go,” Kara huffed, tossing back the blanket she settled under. 

Lena protested, “Okay, hold on a minute.” 

As Kara shifted herself on the edge of the bed and pushed herself up to stand she grimaced as a sharp pain tore through her left side and shoulder blade. 

Grunting through her agony, Kara said, “I’m not supposed to–”

“You’re hurt.” Lena stood, hovering over Kara, her arms crossed. “Very badly, might I add. Your wounds aren’t healing fast enough.”

Kara lifted her shirt. She inspected the gauze around her side and the one patched onto her left thigh. These normally would be gone by morning.

“What happened?” Lena asked. 

Refusing to speak, Kara turned away, “You shouldn’t know.” 

Lena scoffed, “Fine, whatever, but you’re the one who came to me like this, Kara. I thought you were going to–forget it. You aren’t my problem.” 

She dashed to the door. 

Kara could deal with the anger, but to know Lena was this hurt over her was difficult to face. “I’m trying to protect you.” 

Lena paused, smoothening a hand down her jeans before facing Kara, “And look where that got us.” 

Kara bit her bottom lip, wondering if she should speak what she wanted to in the past three years they were apart. The unresolved issues were still clear between them, but neither wanted to face them. 

“This is serious Kara. Whatever happened you had mild seizures while you were unconscious,” Lena explained. 

Kara clutched her blanket. Fed up with the silence, Lena barged out of the room. The privacy gave Kara enough much-needed space for her to weep. She rolled back into bed, holding the blanket and wiping her tears. It was the hardest to deal with this along with the loss of her father. 

* * *

Astra watched Alex pace the floors of the closed underground werewolf club they often stayed in to lay low. Non was in the back, working on the samples with the microscope they salvaged a while back during a raid.

“She has to be somewhere,” Alex insisted. 

Astra propped her elbow on the table and picked up a cup of vodka with her right hand and gulped it down. “We have everyone looking for her, Alex, but we can’t risk getting caught doing it ourselves.” 

Alex faced her. “How do we know she isn’t hurt? You and Non said the wolves there were strong.” 

Astra nodded. “I’ve never seen anything like it, but I’ve trained Kara for years for battle. As difficult as this is she willingly lured them away and left us the samples.” She pulled out a second sample from her pocket. The glowing red liquid was still inside. “Can you run tests with enough of this?” 

“It’ll be enough, but it’ll take time.” 

“I have a feeling this will give us an idea of what we’re up against,” Astra said, standing up to hand it over to Alex. “Do whatever is necessary.” 

Alex nodded and looked at the tube sample reluctantly. 

“I will have the pack searching everywhere for Kara, but you need to focus on this now.” 

Alex glared. “You expect me to do that?”

Differently, Astra shrugged. “You’ll have to. Some things still need to be taken care of for the better of this war and us. Trust me to find her.” 

Alex looked her over and sighed. “Fine.”

* * *

The distinct smell of burning blood and charred flesh filtered the air. Ben cringed as he stepped out of his car. An array of dead bodies littered the ground along his walk through the chain-link fence. The heat from the flames of the factory six feet away brushed against his face, the windows were blown out. A soldier lying on the floor coughed and wheezed with soot and burned wounds on his face. 

“You,” Ben said, facing him and indifferent. “What happened here?” 

The man, looking young and terrified stared at him and coughed again, “The wolves, Sir. They attacked us and–It was a massacre.” 

That much was clear. Ben couldn’t tell for sure but a good ten men were killed, all ripped apart, only a few left in enough pieces to bury them in one piece.

“Did you get a name?” Ben asked. 

“No, Sir. It was… I was trying to escape.” 

Ben grimaced, “That’s enough.” 

He walked away, coming across a cluster of crates and a bunch of broken ones with the test tubes of glowing red liquid inside. He kicked the crate and grunted, “Fuck!” 

If it wasn’t enough to try and find Jack this was another problem. Who knew how much was taken? Ben paced through the wreckage and grabbed a doctor that was covered in blood and terrified, “Please tell me the subjects are still alive, somehow?” 

The doctor gulped, “They… Were let out, Sir.”

“What? They are nowhere near ready. Who gave you the right to do that?” 

The doctor shook his head, his hands shaking. 

Ben glared, “You just ruined months of work!” 

“I–I’m sorry, Sir! I didn’t give the order. It was the Captain of the facility.” 

Ben’s phone went off and he gave the doctor another glance before answering it and walking away. 

“Yeah?” He paused, inhaling, and clenching his fist. “It’s bad, Sir.” 

Ben paced the field and intently listened. The look on his face became more frustrated and enraged. He gave a few nods and grunts before approaching a soldier that was stocking a crate in the back of a jeep, “Get me the Captain of this unit.” 

Ben focused back on the phone. The look on his face worsening with distress. He scuffed his boot against the dirt and sighed. 

The soldier returned with an older man that had a greying beard. “You wanted to see me, Sir?” 

Ben turned around, the phone still pressed to his ear, and whipped out his pistol. The shot of it discharging erupted through the forest and caused several doctors to jump. The Captain slumped to the ground face–first with a splatter of blood and brains on his forehead. 

Ben huffed, his jaw clenched and holstered his gun, “It’s done.” 

The other soldier stood frozen as Ben walked away. He stuffed his cellphone back into his pocket. This was not going to be an easy morning.

* * *

Lena worked in her basement for the rest of the morning. She couldn’t spend another second with Kara if she was going to be avoiding her questions. Except, the work she was going over did little to distract her or ease her mind that Kara was here. She was alive and she was just a few feet away from her after not hearing from her in three years. The only form of communication they kept was through third parties like Jack and his research files, but he gave little about Kara out of request. Lena knew it was something he was ordered to do. When she found herself reading the same sentence of the test reports from Jack, Lena gave up and went upstairs for a fix of coffee. Kara stood in the kitchen, still and leaning onto the counter to hold herself up. It was clear in her stance on how painful it was to be around, but she was stubborn. 

“You should be resting,” Lena said. 

Kara served herself a cup of water and hobbled into the living room. “I’m not the type to sit around.” 

Lena clutched her empty coffee cup and marched after her. “Are we seriously going to do this?” 

Kara glanced over her shoulder, confused, but a look of guilt in her eyes. 

“I can’t pretend like I just saw you nearly die. And I certainly can’t disregard what you did, either.” 

Kara stood, bracing on the couch armchair and grimacing before her face filled with anger. “This isn’t easy for me either, you know?” 

Lena stood her ground, her face stern and equally frustrated as Kara. She should have left Kara at her door, anything you avoid this, but she couldn’t turn her away in that state. Call it guilt, but Lena knew a part of it was the reason because of past feelings she couldn’t let go. “Do you tell yourself that every day to deal with it?” 

Kara scoffed. “You know what? I’m not going to be blamed for this. We both agreed we wouldn’t work and that it was for the best because of Lex. I couldn’t put you through that danger.” 

Lena approached her, arms crossed and her jaw clenched. The anger on her face threw Kara off to see such malice directed to her. She never thought she would see such an emotion toward her by Lena, of all people. The things they shared. The bond they have. 

“And yet you’re here, putting me in danger anyway. Why did you come here?”

Kara gulped. Her eyes averted down to the couch armrest. It would be easy to tell Lena this. To have her think that Kara was always keeping tabs on her, it was probably what Lex was doing too, but that was far from the truth. 

“I...Something drew me here and I figured it would be empty. You have your penthouse in National City,” Kara said. “I stayed away as promised even though I would know where to find you.”

Kara inhaled, a flare of frustration came through her, “Do you know how difficult it is to be apart? You’re my mate.” 

Instinctively, Lena’s hand shifted to the back of her neck, down to her shoulder blades and over the scars left there. The rage on her face melted away, a look of sorrow and disappointment on her face and Kara could see the shine of tears behind her eyes. Lena walked away, opening one of the overhead cabinets to take out a bottle of whiskey. Kara inhaled, picking up the distraught emotion from her. The pain and the sadness nearly choked Kara. 

“And now I’m not,” Lena said, fixing herself a glass. 

“Lena.” Kara pushed through her pain to stand on her own and follow Lena. “You know I wanted this to work.” 

She hesitated to touch Lena, knowing that this entire situation was against everything they agreed upon. Kara shouldn’t overstep any boundaries and be overstaying when her people needed her, Aunt Astra needed her, but she hadn’t been this close to Lena in years and she didn’t want to leave. She was selfish for such a thing, but she always was when it came to Lena and that was her mistake she was going to have to deal with. 

“My father would have understood, you know? Eventually,” Kara said. 

“You mean before or after we were going to elope?” 

Kara watched Lena take her glass of whiskey in one gulp and spotted the outline of the bitemark underneath Lena’s collar. The mating bite was an accident. Done in the throes of their passion during a night at this very cottage under the stars years ago. Kara remembered how furious her father was after he had set up an arranged marriage for her. Then he died. Publicly executed by Lex’s hand a few days after. That was something neither of them could bear.

“It isn’t that simple. The bite, it ties us–” 

“I’m  _ making _ it that simple,” Lena hissed, facing Kara, her eyes teary and angry, her bottom lip quivering. 

Kara sharply inhaled, blinking away her tears and torn between discord and defeat, “None of this was supposed to happen. My father, your father, dead, and a war between my people and humans.” 

Lena raised a brow, “But that’s exactly what happened.”

Nodding, Kara said, “And it is one of my biggest regrets, but you have to know, I didn’t carry out that order. I didn’t kill your father, I swear.” 

“Who are we anymore?” Lena asked. 

They were mates as far as Kara was concerned. The only difference Kara lacked the mark, but that was the result of their union. Lena a human and Kara a werewolf, but both of them fell in love. That didn’t make anything simple. Kara had responsibilities and Lena could have easily settled for another human if they hadn’t met. Her mother, Alura, would have called their meeting the act of Rao if her father wasn’t so enraged by their relationship. 

Kara placed her hands over Lena’s hips before pulling Lena against her and resting her forehead on hers, “You’re my mate.” 

Their lips met in a delicate kiss, testing out the closeness and feel of them as if exploring new grounds. Lena gasped, her hands gripped onto Kara’s shoulders and leaned forward. The scent between them overwhelmed Kara, invigorated her as she picked up Lena’s deeply rooted desire. A flare of yearning ripped between them, the years of being part. The fear and sadness and unresolved closure brought to the surface. Kara parted, winded and speechless. Lena watched the flicker in her eyes fade to a low orange glow and gilded her hands down to the hem of her shirt to pull it over Kara’s head. 

They stood together, Lena resting her forehead against Kara’s exposed collarbones and sighing. “Should we… Your wounds.”

“They’re healing. I feel stronger.” Kara kissed her again, more firm and hungry.

They parted, still next to each other, their noses brushing together. Kara gazed at Lena, awestruck and panting, “I feel different actually.” 

The closeness with Lena sparked a hunger in her. A vigor she hadn’t experienced in a long time. Kara could spend a few hours with her so long as Lena was willing. 

“What do you mean?” 

Kara shrugged, “It’s nothing.” 

They stumbled through the hall, kissing and stripping their clothes as they made their way to the bedroom. The logical part of Lena knew she should stop this. The concern she had given Kara’s previous situation. 

Lena gasped, wrapping her hands around Kara’s neck, “Kara.” 

Kara pushed through the first door at the top of the stairs and brought Lena with her. Kara gulped. A flush painted her cheeks.

“You’re in rut,” Lena said, feeling the burn of her sink in her palm as she cupped the back of Kara’s neck. 

Timidly, Kara’s gaze moved to their linked hand. Lena could tell the moment Kara pressed against her she was aroused. The feel of her erected cock pressing against her hips. 

“I think, being near you started it.” Kara looked back into emerald eyes. “If you don’t want to I can–”

Lena kissed her first this time. “I want to.” 

She couldn’t back away from this now. She didn’t want to. The feel of Kara was a relished feeling she was sure she would never experience again. Closing the distance between them, Kara felt Lena’s nails sink into her skin and gasped. Kara wanted to take things slow. Cherish this moment, but patience was little of a concern. She hopped into bed, hovering over Lena, holding her legs to rest them over her back. She laid against Lena, her eyes were teary, and her bottom lip between her teeth. Kara hated this. The effects of war and what it did to them. The years of yearning and sorrow when all Kara wanted was to be with her again. But she couldn’t be distracted. She couldn’t let what’s left of her pack be destroyed even if it meant giving up Lena. Kara sniffled and kissed Lena’s shoulder.

Kara pulled back, hanging over her, alarmed, “Are you okay?” 

Lena nodded, raking a hand through blonde loose locks and pulled Kara back against her, “Please?” 

Kara grinding her hip forward and felt Lena stretch around her. 

“Fuck!” Lena cried.

Kara jerked back. A look of worry on her face. She knew she was slightly thicker in girth. “Lena? Okay, I’m not going–”

“No, it’s alright. I’m okay. I just… Need you right now.”

Kara caved. The only thing on her mind now was Lena. 

* * *

Lex watched two men in white lab coats collect pieces of flesh, blood, and saliva from the last body of the werewolf that escaped the factory. This was a sample left in the best condition. The other three being torn to shreds and less contaminated. 

Mercy emerged from the SUV behind him, calm and her face irritated. “This one wasn’t shot or wounded. What else could have done this?” 

“The drug it was injected with prior,” Lex answered. “Well, I at least know there is a 24 hour expire window now.” 

“You don’t look pissed about this.” 

Lex nodded and faced her with a smile in place, “The last subjects were found with blood and flesh under their nails. Whoever was on the tail end of that attack is probably experiencing some interesting side effects right now. Find them.” 

He turned away from the scene as two military-grade jeeps approached. Mery placed a hand on his arm. “What were these wolves injected with?” 

“I had little success with recent wolves, but younger ones have potential that I can manipulate. That’s as far as I will tell you here,” Lex walked away, poise and calm. “Burn the bodies.” 

A group of four soldiers exited the jeeps, two carrying flamethrowers on their backs. Mercy followed him back to the car as the nose of the flamethrower was revved up and a burst of fire sprouted from the tip.

* * *

Lena cried out as Kara thrust behind her, causing the bed to move and scrap against the floorboards. She clenched her fist around the sheets, her face pressed into her pillow, and Kara pant behind her, stilling. The soft-touch of nose and lips brushed against Lena’s back and along her neck before kissing the scar of her mate mark. A copious warmth of Kara’s release slicked down her thighs.

“Are you alright?” 

Lena wiped the sweat from her brows and cringed as Kara shifted, small enough in size to pull out now. She rolled on to her back, gazing into loving baby blue eyes. She stroked Kara’s cheek, brushing away her blonde curls. 

“Yes, I… Your rut has never been this intense before.” 

Kara laid against Lena, resting her face on her chest and gliding her hand down to claps with Lena’s. “Yeah, it was… Boy, I missed this.” 

Lena kissed her forehead. Kara’s stomach rumbled through their silence and Lena gazed out the window to see the setting sun from the distance. “Did we just…” 

Kara laughed, sitting up and pulling the sheets back. “I think we got a little too into this.” 

Lena sat up, shifting as she felt the slick drip out and sighed. “I should shower.” 

Kara stood, sweaty and exposed as she stretched. “Yeah, you go first. I hope you don’t mind me raiding your fridge.” 

“Help yourself.” 

* * *

Astra walked away from the cottage in front of her and a few paces away, Non leaned against his SUV. 

“She’s in there isn’t she?” Non asked, watching Astra nod. “Well, shouldn’t we go in after her?” 

“We should wait,” Astra said, Non looked displeased.

“She can’t–”

“I’m sure you must feel it, Non.” 

Non stepped away from the car and gazed at the patch of dirt below him. He sighed and nodded. The connection between them was distinct and the scent coming from the cottage was overbearing. He crossed his arms. “She shouldn’t have come here.”

“If you want to stop an Alpha in a rut from being around their mate, go right ahead.” 

Non pursed his lips, “What if they… We don’t have time to worry about Lena either.” 

Astra approached him, “You’re right.” 

That did little to quell his frustration. Non knew his place as a pack member. This was his leader. He couldn’t control her actions, but having a mate himself he knew the temptation. “She’s our Alpha. She must think of the pack first.” 

“And she has. You can not deny that.” Astra turned back to the cottage. “Wait inside. I’ll be out here until she’s ready to leave.” 

Non grunted and reluctantly went back into the SUV. Astra strode back to the house and sighed. “Kara, what have you got yourself into.” 

* * *

Lena entered the living room brushing a hand through her damp hair. “I smell… Pancakes?” 

Behind the kitchen island, Kara set a plate of stacked pancakes down and smiled. “I was not going to touch that kale. Plus, who doesn’t like breakfast for dinner?” 

Lena pulled a chair out and settled down. Kara gave her a plate and set three large pancakes on it for her. She filled a tall glass with water and stood smiling as Lena hungrily cut into her stack. 

“Water?” Lena asked. 

Kara blushed, pressing a hand against the counter, “Well I… You can’t tell me after all that you aren’t thirsty?” 

Lena’s cheeks tinted pink and she gulped her cup. Kara cut into her share. They ate in peace, glancing at each other, sneaking looks, and smiling to relish this situation between them. 

“I um…” Kara sighed, cutting another piece of pancakes. “Thank you?” 

Lena scoffed. “This isn’t a business transaction.” 

Kara’s fork clattered on her plate, “No, of course not, but you didn’t have to… I was in rut. You could have said no.” 

Lena paused, slowly chewing and nodded, “I could have.” 

“And you–We’re okay, right?” 

Lena’s face softened and she put her utensils down, folding her hands together. “Kara, this can never happen again. At least, not until things quiet down.” 

“I know that. I just, maybe I shouldn’t have brought this up.” 

Lena’s face was more stern. Similar to how she would be when having business meetings or speaking with a buyer. Kara bit her bottom lip. She hated it being directed to her. “It’s best we clear this up beforehand.” 

“Right, we’re both adults and… You know what, no. I want to be with you. I don’t care.” Kara moved around the counter and approached Lena. 

“I really can not deal with this Kara. It  _ needs _ to be this way. I have far more important things to focus on.” 

Kara frowned. Lena’s jaw clenched. Kara curled her hands into a fist, picking up the change of pheromones between them. The distress she was picking up from Lena because of her and that made Kara want to cry. She shouldn’t make Lena feel this way and at one point she didn’t. 

“Do you have any idea what’s happening? The files you sent Jack, they’re something big I know it. And I can’t exactly deal with that when you’re in rut.” 

“Okay, you’re right. Fine,” Kara agreed. “I’m just gonna go then. You do your lab work or whatever.” 

Kara rushed out the door, slamming it on her way out. She marched through the grass too distracted to see Astra walking through the trees. 

“We have much to talk about, Little One.” 

Kara’s face paled. “Aunt Astra…”

“Here is not the place, come with me.” 

Kara followed Astra through the thicket of trees and glanced back at the cottage one last time. 

  
  



End file.
